'I wanted it to look aged and classy' - Sheffield mural artist creates living room tribute to city's icons including Arctic Monkeys and Pulp
Sheffield mural artist Chris Ashmore has created a living room tribute showcasing the city’s most recognisable icons.
When Sheffield artist Chris Ashmore was tasked with turning a living room wall into a striking tribute to the city’s cultural identity, he was presented with a long list of familiar landmarks and musical and sporting icons to include in his mural.
iThe finished work is now a true homage to Sheffield – though painted in a home in neighbouring Rotherham. Chris, who taught himself mural painting a decade ago, spent two and a half months transforming the wall.
“I just told him [the home owner] to list everything he wanted and I’d make it work,” the 39-year-old says. “He came back with a massive list - so it was not only painting the images, but also lining them up in a way that flowed.”
Chris had met the homeowner, Charlie, after he commissioned a bold leopard-print paint job on his Jaguar, which he drove in the Benidorm 500 rally. “He told me he got loads of attention for that car,” Chris laughs. “He got back in touch about the mural. I went over around Christmas to have a look at the wall – and it was huge.”
The finished piece features a collection of Sheffield icons, including Arctic Monkeys, Pulp and The Beautiful South, alongside locations such as the Crucible, Peak District and Peace Gardens. Rendered in sepia tones using “yellow caramels and browns”, the mural was designed to give a timeless, classic feel. “I wanted it to look aged and classy,” Chris says. “It’s all about Sheffield and the places that make it special - it sits proudly in the living room.”
Despite its scale, Chris says the biggest challenge wasn’t technical difficulty but the time and precision required. “It wasn’t difficult as such, but it was very time-consuming. I was there Monday to Friday for two and a half months because I wanted to get every detail right.” The project also became a personal journey, bringing back memories of growing up in the city. “As I was painting Sheffield, I was reminiscing too - Meadowhall as a kid, nights around places like the Frog and Parrot. It all came back while I was working,” he says.
Chris’ career took off 10 years ago after a video of his work went viral online - prompting him to walk out of his job in a production factory the very next day. “I literally walked out and bought some tools, that was it,” he recalls. Since then, he has worked across the UK and abroad, including in Cyprus, and regularly travels to Dublin for large-scale decorative projects. Known for his precision, Chris specialises in airbrushed designs - particularly vehicles. “I love painting cars, motorbikes, planes, anything with straight edges.”
As a Formula 1 fan, one standout moment came when Lewis Hamilton saw one of his pieces and signed a print. “That felt surreal, to know he’d seen my work - that was a big moment,” he says. Closer to home, the Sheffield mural has also earned recognition, with Chris hearing that Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is aware of the piece. “I’ve been told he’s seen it and loves it, which feels great.”